Furious Love
by CharmedOne24
Summary: Morgan wants to be with Penelope forever, but someone stands in their way.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Sadly, I do not own Criminal Minds. If I did, I certainly would not be cutting or changing the cast. #SaveTheCMLadies If you haven't signed yet, please sign the petition to keep AJ Cook and Paget Brewster .**

"I can't wait, Hotch. I've decided- I'm asking Garcia to marry me. The Alaska case has really brought us closer."

Hotch stumbled for a second, staring at Morgan. "You know that Strauss will be all over you. She'll break up the team."

"I know. But I'm hoping Rossi will help with that. But it really doesn't matter, Hotch." Morgan swallowed. "I…need her in my life- as more than just my friend. I need to hold her in my arms at night; to watch her carry our baby in her womb and then her arms. I've wasted too much time already. I can't waste any more."

Hotch's gaze dropped, reaching the picture on his desk of Haley cradling Jack as an infant. "I'll do anything I can to help, Morgan. You and Garcia have something special. Jack says it best: Morgan and Penny are like peanut butter and jelly- they just go together."

Morgan laughed. "You've done an amazing job, Hotch."

Hotch coughed, and his voice was hoarse as he answered. "Haley did all the work, Morgan. I took advantage of it, of her. Don't make my mistakes. Don't take Penelope for granted; or let the job become more important to you than she is."

"She's my Baby Girl, Hotch. My…voice of calm and sanity as I do this job. She's a part of me, and of the job. Neither one is right without her."

"In that case, when are you asking?"

"We're going up to Vermont for the weekend. I plan to ask her then."

"I'll try not to call you in. I know cases come up when you are…getting your groove on." Hotch grinned.

"I'd appreciate it." Morgan returned the grin with one of his own and shook the hand Hotch had offered. "Thanks Hotch."

"No problem. And, Morgan?" He added as Morgan had started to leave. "Good luck and congratulations."

Morgan laughed aloud. "With any luck…I won't need luck."

"Hey, princess, are you ready for two days and nights of gorgeous views, pleasant people and all the best maple syrup and Ben and Jerry's you can eat?"

Garcia leaned back in her chair gazing at Morgan. "Hmm…I dunno, ice cream, syrup and people not withstanding, I have gorgeous views right here, handsome."

"Behave, Baby Girl. You wouldn't want to start our weekend with a spanking, would you?"

"All talk… you're all talk." She grinned at Derek's chuckle.

"I'll show you all talk." She squealed as he grabbed her out of her chair, into his arms and kissed her.

Penelope laughed as Derek set her down gently. "Oh, handsome God of mine, I cannot wait. But you know we're just barely going into that private hot tub that our phones are going to be ringing with a new case, right?"

"Bite your tongue, beautiful. No UNSUBs would dare. You know how ticked I'll be if I don't get to see that sexy red bikini that's been hanging in your closet?"

"Oh, gorgeous, don't worry, you'll get to see it…eventually."

Morgan laughed. "C'mon silly girl. Are you ready to go?"

"Give me give minutes, ok, babe? I've got to finish this search. Should be done in a jif."

"Search? What are you looking for? We don't have an active case."

Penelope raised an eyebrow. "Who said it was for an active case?"

"Penelope Garcia, if you're tagging cases again, I swear I really will spank you!"

"Relax, my love. JJ asked me to run a search on a case down in Honolulu. They've send a case file, but there are some missing pieces in the file. I'm just filling in the gaps so that she can have complete info."

"Hmm…Honolulu…is that on the island of Ikindawannakissyou?"

Penelope groaned. "Oh, Derek. Really that was bad…way beneath you."

Derek laughed at his own bad joke. "Five minutes, Red. Then we're off." He left with a quick kiss to her head.

"No! No, that's not allowed! I'll kill him, I will kill him. Derek Morgan is a dead man." Kevin Lynch stared at his computer screen, watching the spy cam footage, his pupils large, inky black and furious.

**A/N: So let me know what you think! The more reviews I get, the quicker the next chapter comes!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks everyone for the reviews and kind words. I appreciate it! As always: #SaveTheCMLadies**

"See Baby Girl, did I not tell you that this was amazing?"

Penelope leaned back in the hot tub relaxing her tired muscles. "Oh, my most darling man, this truly is heaven."

"I just wish we'd been able to get the room we'd originally reserved. I can't believe they double booked the room!"

"Sweetheart…we are here, together, in a hot tub. There are no bloody crime scene photos, no pinging computer screens, no UNSUBs to chase…it's paradise no matter what room we have."

Derek moved behind her, rubbing her shoulders in a lazy massage. "Mmm…Derek, after about forty years of that, I'm going to be really annoyed by you."

"But what if I want more than forty years?"

Penelope straightened. "What are you talking about? Are you serious?"

Derek swallowed. "Damn… I am serious, but this wasn't how I meant to do it. I had it all planned, Penelope. I was going to propose over dinner, soft candlelight, soft music, a suit." He sighed. "But, yes, Penelope, I want to be with you forever. I want you to marry me. I love you. I've never said those words to any woman that doesn't have the last name Morgan. Now I've done it twice, with you. I hope I don't ever have to again. Marry me, Penelope. I told you once that you are my God Given Solace. What I didn't say to you then is that you are the reason I can do my job and look into the abyss of darkness day in and day out without going crazy. It's the reason I was able to take over the team when Hotch needed to step down. Believe it or not, Baby Girl, that office you found me was one of the best gifts I've ever gotten. Especially my drawer of fun; that kept me sane on the moments that I couldn't run to your office or talk to you. You are my ONE. All capitals, full on exclamation point. I don't want to be without you for even another day. Please, Penelope, say you'll be my wife?"

"Are you… You really want to marry me? Derek, I'm unorganized and messy, and I'm not the kind of girl who will ever be happy just cooking and cleaning at home."

Derek snorted derisively. "Like I'd want you to? I've tasted your cooking, Pen. I'm serious. I don't want a maid or a cook or a housekeeper. I just want you- crazy outfits, funky hair, troll dolls, fuzzy pens and all that. Those are things that make you, you. I don't want to change you, I fell in love with you just the way you are. Please, Pen, put me out of my misery here. Say you'll marry me. I promise, I'll spend the rest of my life proving it to you, if you'll just say yes."

"Well, of course I'm saying yes. I love you, you amazing man. How could I not ? You go into danger every day, not for the rush or for any type of credit, but just because you care about other people more than you do yourself. You're strong and loyal, and you always keep your promises. You know, Gideon told me something once. He said that you are descended from strong stock. He went on to tell me that your dad and mom had raised you the right way, and had taught you the right values. I never realized why he told me any of that. I guess he could see this between us, even when we were still blind to it."

Derek smiled, and kissed Penelope as passionately as he knew how. "Oh, darlin', our lives are gonna be so good from now on."

Hotch knocked as he waited just outside Rossi's door. "Dave, we need to talk."

"That sounds…ominous."

"I need your help. Well, actually it's Morgan and Garcia that need your help."

"They need me to talk to Director Strauss." At Hotch's surprised look, Dave grinned. "Oh, come on, Aaron. I know you've been preoccupied with Jack lately, but surely you didn't miss their relationship."

"Well, no, but I didn't realize they had been obvious enough that everyone else knew what was going on."

"Aaron, their relationship was obvious to me the first day I walked through the door. We didn't have technical analysts when I was here before, but relationships were something we did have. The way those two banter back and forth… you'd have to be a deaf, blind, mute not to notice!"

Hotch laughed. "I know, but I guess we only see what we're supposed to see. After all, we try hard not to profile each other, you know that."

"Yeah. So, when should I speak to Strauss?"

"Well, considering that he's proposing this weekend, I would suggest as soon as possible."

"He's doing it, really? Well, that _does_ surprise me."

"Why? You don't think Morgan would get married?"

"Not really. I mean, I guess I just figured that would date for a long time. I mean, the BAU is not kind to marriage. You and I are both prime examples of that. Four marriages between us, and none of them lasted. It wasn't a lack of love, just a lack of luck. This job sucks the luck out of life. It takes and takes, it doesn't leave a whole lot left for a woman."

"Not for them. They're both smarter than we are, Dave. They know the risks, and they work together. They both realize what is at stake. We took our wives for granted, didn't let them see the bad parts. I glossed over them with Haley, due to security procedures. I knew I couldn't, and I didn't, but she still knew. In her head, everything had to be bigger, larger and even more scary. I couldn't comfort her, because that would mean telling her the truth. Morgan won't have to do that. He'll be able to be completely open and honest with Penelope. She will already know anyway. They'll be able to share their fears, their frustrations, and their worries."

"You have a point. So should I tell Erin that, or just go straight to the ass kissing that I seem to be so good at with her?"

Hotch barked a laugh, and grinned, clapping Rossi on the back. "You know what? I'll let you profile that one all by yourself."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I feel so loved! Thanks for all the wonderful reviews and comments. As always, lets keep working to save AJ & Paget. . #SaveTheCMLadies**

Onward with the story…

"Director Strauss, may I have a moment?" Rossi stuck his head in her office door.

"Of course, Agent Rossi. What can I do for you?" She straightened the piles of papers on her desk and looked at Dave.

"I am here to speak to you on behalf of two of our agents, Erin."

"Let me guess…SSA Morgan and Technical Analyst Garcia."

Dave couldn't hide his surprise. Strauss chuckled low in her throat. "Surely, you didn't think that I had not noticed the burgeoning relationship."

"As you know, the frat rules are against them being together, however, SSA Hotchner and I agree that breaking up the team is not the correct action to take in this case. They have been nothing but professional to each other on the job, and will continue to be."

"So asking for information 'hot and dirty' or threatening to spank each other is considered professional behavior?"

"For Garcia, yes, Erin, it is. She is an individual. On more than one occasion, she has been randomly drug tested due to her…idiosyncrasies. However, never once has she failed to come to our aid when we need her in the field, or need her to work her magic in a manner of seconds. She has saved our collective asses more times than I can count. The BAU needs her here, working her magic for us. There is only one Penelope, and we need to keep her."

"In that case, we could always give Agent Morgan his own team. As you know, he has more than proven himself."

"Yes, he has, however, he has no desire for his own team. He knows this team like the back of his hand, that is what made him such an effective interim leader of our team. He understands that sometimes Agent Reid's brain gets ahead of his mouth and he spits out statistics to help to cover up his own social inadequacies. He understands that unsolved business pulled me back to the BAU and that it is still what keeps me here. He knows that Jennifer Jareau is the heart of this team, the glue that keeps us all sane, and is the voice of calm to the victims and their families, yet that she still has a spine of iron that refuses to bend. He knows Agent Prentiss is often the face that victims need at their darkest hours, and that she has untapped talents and skills that we have not yet scraped the surface of. He understands Aaron Hotchner better than any of us on this team. He sees the vulnerability that lurks beneath the solid, reassuring and stalwart exterior. He gets that Aaron is scared that he will screw up his son, the same way he did his marriage, and Agent Morgan works to help take that load off his shoulders. Agent Morgan does not want or need a new team. He has our team, and believe me, we need him as well. His strength and bravery have been tested time and again, each time proving his worth."

"I believe you, Dave." Erin sighed. "I am willing to offer this compromise. I will allow SSA Morgan and TA Garcia to stay on the BAU team, keeping the current team intact. However, if at any time, I see that their personal relationship is affecting the solidarity of the team, or interfering with the job, I will separate them without a second's thought."

"Thank you, Erin."

"You're welcome, Dave." She paused. "You should know that I knew about their relationship via an anonymous email alleging inappropriate behavior between them. I don't take a lot of stock in anonymity. However, I am one of the few that feels as such."

"Exactly what type of inappropriate behavior was this email alleging to?"

"Among other things- sexual harassment and sexual misconduct during working hours."

"They were saying they had sex on company time?"

"Always so blunt, Dave. Yes, according to the email Morgan and Garcia had intercourse during a case in which they were working together on in Alaska."

"Bullshit. Penelope was terrified to be alone. They shared a room, not a bed. Neither of them are that unprofessional."

"I agree, but you and your team may want to keep an eye out. Someone does not like Morgan or Garcia."

Dave nodded, lost in thoughts. "Thank you again, Erin."

"You're welcome, Dave."

"Dave?" She added as he turned away. "Are we still on for dinner tonight?"

Dave grinned. "Of course, Erin. Did you think I would change my mind so easily?"

"Oh, Derek. This has been a fabulous night. I've never been so happy."

"Me either, Mama. I love you, darling. I just wish I knew what was going on with our reservations. First, the room got double booked, then my credit card got denied. It's weird."

"Things happen. Don't worry about it so much. Everything is perfect…because I have you, and now, this gorgeous ring."

"You like it then? Really, because if you want a diamond instead, I'll get you one. I just…saw the amethyst with the sapphires and it reminded me of you."

"If you touch my ring, I will send a virus to your computer that will make it useless for anything except being a paperweight."

"Okay, okay…you like the ring."

"So…would you be offended if I got out of bed to call JJ?"

Derek laughed. "I can't believe you waited this long. Go ahead…I'm going to call Hotch."

"Ooh… maybe I should conference call with Emily too."

"Hon…call anyone that you want to. I've still got to let Reid and Rossi know too. Let's just get the phone calls out of the way, then we can…enjoy ourselves some more."

Penelope chuckled. "Sounds good to me." She grabbed her phone and dialed her best friend.

"JJ, guess what?" Her voice was high pitched and excited. "Derek and I are getting married!"

She pulled the phone away from her ear as JJ's shouts of happiness rang through the line. "Hang on, hang on. Derek, the whole team is there. JJ is putting us on speaker."

"Congratulations! We're so happy for you!" JJ's voice came through clear, her happiness shining through.

"Nice job, Morgan. Guess you didn't mess up the proposal, huh?" Hotch's dry comment , made everyone chuckle. "Penelope, I really thought you could do better than him though."

"Eh…what can I say. I'm a sucker for a pretty face, and there's no face prettier than Derek's."

"Actually, he doesn't have the classically pretty face that most people think of. It's a bit too big and…"

"Reid, she was teasing."

"Geez, Emily, I know that. I was just making a joke!" Reid protested. "Garcia knows that. Anyway congratulations."

"Thanks, Reid."

"Listen, congratulations, you two. But unfortunately, we have some business we need to take care of here, so we need to go."

Derek sighed. "We'll be on the first flight home."

"No, it's okay. We'll let you know if we need you, but for now, we're only researching."

"Are you sure? As much as we were teasing before, we'll come back if you need us."

"Penelope, enjoy your vacation. That's an order. We'll let you know if we cannot do without you."

"Alright…thanks, Hotch."

"And again, congratulations. No one deserves to be happy more than the two of you."

"Aw…thanks, sir." Penelope sighed as they hung up.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Penelope…" Derek said warningly.

"It's just that I know they're hiding something, I'm just not sure what it is."

"Thought you weren't a profiler, baby."

"Oh, zip it and tell me I'm wrong."

"You're not wrong. They were definitely acting off. Hopefully, it's something good and not something that will bite us in the ass later."

"Someone is trying to get Morgan and Garcia fired. They want to hurt them. I want to figure out who that is, and I want to know now." David Rossi stared around the table at the team. "If we have a prayer of keeping this team together, we need to know now."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry the update is late. Life keeps getting in the way lately. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews…

"So how do we go about finding an online harasser without Garcia?" JJ stated bluntly. "Let's be honest, none of us can work magic on a computer like she does."

"But we do know people. Let's think who has a reason to want Morgan or Garcia fired?" Hotch reread the email that Strauss had forwarded to him at his request.

"Everyone loves Garcia. She wouldn't hurt anyone. The only one I can think of is Battle, but would he be bold enough to send an anonymous email from prison?" Emily asked.

"Emily, everyone has enemies. I agree, Battle is a place to start. But what do we know about her family? Maybe they don't like the idea of her dating a black man."

"Statistically, even in this age, 31% of families do not support interracial dating within members of their own family."

"It's worth a try. If Reid's statistics prove true, we've got three more suspects." JJ added their names to the whiteboard.

"We're missing the obvious here. Kevin Lynch has good reason to hate them both." Rossi input. "He knows Penelope dumped him and went to Morgan. He'll have good reason for revenge. Plus, let's be honest…who is the second best technical analyst in the FBI? If Garcia loses her job, he's next in line for the BAU."

"Okay, but would he be that obvious? I mean, I can see how he'd plan to create an anonymous email, but wouldn't he expect us to suspect him?"

"Whoever did this certainly didn't expect us to find out. That's why they sent it to Strauss. They wanted them fired without incident." Hotch set the file down, tapping it on the table.

"So is there anyone who wants to hurt Morgan?"

"This is going to sound weird, but what about Tamara?" Emily said slowly. "I know they only dated a few weeks, but she'd been through some major emotional trauma, then Morgan and her broke up. She knew how close Garcia and Morgan were, so it makes sense she thought they were together."

"Carl Buford. I know he's in prison, but he's still a good suspect. He's got a lot of reason to hate Morgan." Reid quietly stated.

"But no logical reason to hate Penelope. Does he even know Penelope?" JJ asked.

"Who knows. Anyone who's decent with a computer could probably figure it out. The FBI website alone has a directory of agents by unit. It could be just a lucky guess."

"Plus, Penelope went with Morgan to his trial. She was by his side for the length of the trial. Remember, James on one side of him, Penelope on the other? He could have just heard her name then, and put two and two together."

"Okay, so for now, we're focusing on Buford and Lynch, right?" JJ asked quickly.

"Yeah. I think they're the two best suspects. Okay, so Reid, JJ and Dave, you guys take Buford. Emily and I will start on Lynch. We do not stop until we figure out who is behind this."

"Oh my God, Baby Girl, I am so sorry. I can't believe this is happening." Derek groaned as his debit card was declined for the second time.

"Darling… it's okay. I have mine." She handed her card to the waitress.

"I just don't get it, Pen. I have like five thousand in there, I know it. First, my credit card, now the debit too? It just doesn't make any sense."

"When we get back to the room, I'll get online and see if I can come up with anything. For now, just relax, it's not a problem."

"Miss Garcia, I'm sorry but your card was also declined. Do you have another payment method?" The waitress stood in front of them with a disapproving look on her face.

"Oh…um, here let me just give you cash." Penelope fumbled for a second, then handed over a handful of bills. "Hot stuff, let's get back so that we can figure this out."

"Absolutely." Morgan grabbed her hand and they left quickly.

"I can't believe I got hacked. Someone actually hacked into my bank accounts, even into my credit cards." Derek ran a hand impatiently over his scalp.

"Well, the good news is, that they didn't actually steal money from either of us. They just closed the current cards and ordered new ones for us. They didn't even change the addresses. It's like they just wanted to create a nuisance problem."

"Hell of a nuisance. Penelope, we're basically stranded here. I can't even buy gas to get home!"

"Shhh… honey, we'll get it figured out. If we have to, I'll call JJ and ask her to go to the bank for us and wire money."

"Argh! I don't want to have to rely on that. Who the HELL did this, Pen?"

"I don't know. But I will find out." Garcia growled angrily.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Again, SO sorry this took so long. I'm in grad school now, so unfortunately the story has to take a backseat to course work. But I have NOT given up on this! I promise it will get finished- just no promises as to when.**

"JJ, hon, I have a huge favor to ask you."

"Um. Okay, Pen. What can I do for you that Morgan can't? Don't tell me that he's in the dog house already!" JJ laughed.

"No, no. Nothing like that. It's just…well, we need some money. Can you wire us some cash? There's been some problems with all of our cards, and well…we just can't use them."

"Oh wow, that really sucks. What kind of problems anyway? Did you two get a little too risqué and lose your wallets or something?"

Penelope laughed. "As much as I would love to brag on the prowess of my Chocolate God, I can't. There seems to be a little funny business going on. Someone hacked us and cancelled our cards. I haven't found out who yet, but I don't have all of my programs from this computer. When I get back to Quantico though…whoever did it is going to see my wrath!"

"Oh."

"Just 'Oh'? JJ that's all you have to say?"

"I, um… I'll get you some money, but I need to go talk to Hotch for a minute. Work stuff. I'll get you some cash though, ok?"

"Yeah, that's…fine. Are you okay, Jayje?"

"Just busy, is all. I have to go though."

"O..kay." Penelope stared at the phone, hearing JJ hang up half way through her words. "Derek…that was weird."

"What happened?"

"Nothing really, but JJ was just acting…odd. Not at all like herself."

"You think there's something wrong?" Derek sat down next to her lounge chair.

"I don't know. It just…maybe I'm just twitchy because of the whole hacker thing."

"Hey, baby, you know that I trust your instincts-always. They served you right with Battle. If things don't seem right, they probably aren't. You want to go back and make sure things are okay?"

"Aww, Derek. You are the sweetest thing. No, it will be okay. We can continue our mini vacation. I'll talk to her when we get back."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeppers. So what's on the agenda for today, anyway, my handsome prince?"

"Well, I was thinking a little of this… then maybe a little of that…" Penelope giggled as Derek began kissing the curve of her neck and moved his hands up her body.

"Hotch we have a serious problem." JJ entered his office without knocking. "Morgan and Penelope's credit and bank cards were hacked. They are stranded in Vermont. She just called me asking for cash."

"Hacked? Garcia got hacked?"

"Yeah, and she doesn't have her bureau laptop with her, so she can't backhack them." JJ pushed her hair out of her face and stared at Hotch. "I told her I'd send some money, but it would take a little bit of time."

Hotch found his first smile. "I'm sure Morgan can find something to keep her occupied until you can get the money to her. Which, by the way, I'll give to them. You don't need to do that."

"I don't care about the money Hotch. I just want to help them."

"I know. So do I. Let me call Dave. It may be time to let them know what's going on before things escalate further."

"This has been an awesome evening, baby. I'm so glad we stayed." Penelope snuggled in closer to Derek as they walked down the pathway of the apple orchard. "I mean, this bed and breakfast is gorgeous. Who knew they had this beautiful path through this orchard. It's so romantic the way they have the path lit up."

"You always could see the beauty in everything, Pen. It's the thing I love the most about you. Even when our vacation has been so messed up."

"Oh, sweetie, things are fine now. JJ sent us some cash, we're all good. When we get back to Quantico we'll figure out the bank thing."

"I know you're right. So what do you want for dinner? Steak or fish?"

"I'm in the mood for f… Oww, Derek, what the.." Penelope complained as Derek knocked her down and covered her body with his.

"Shh! Baby, that was a gun shot. We are way too exposed here." Derek whispered in her ear.

"A g…gunshot? Derek, someone is shooting at us?" Penelope gasped in a shriek whisper.

"Penelope, listen to me very carefully. I'm going to slowly crawl to that little grove of trees. I want you to crawl with me. Do not get ahead of me. Do you understand?"

Penelope nodded jerkily and Derek slowly started for the trees. Penelope moved with him gasping when a piece of dirt exploded in front of her. "Why can't I hear the shots, Derek?"

"Silencer…keep going baby. C'mon, you're doing good." Derek hissed harshly.

"Derek? Derek what's wrong?"  
"Nothing… just keep going."

"I hate when you lie to me to make me feel better."

"Yell later…move now!"

Penelope was trembling by the time they got to the trees. Derek stood, suddenly scanning the area around, while holding his upper arm. "This is crazy. We gotta get out of here."

"How? Is he g…" she stifled a scream as another shot exploded about a foot away.

"I'm gonna call for help." Derek grunted as he grabbed his cell and started dialing. "I got a recording!" He stared in shock at the phone. "The police department had a recording!"

"Screw that gorgeous. I'm calling the big guns." Penelope grabbed her phone and dialed anxiously.


	6. Chapter 6

"Agent Hotchner" Hotch answered his phone brusquely.

"Hotch, we need help! Send SWAT or someone. He's shooting at us!" Penelope's voice shrieked over the line.

"Shooting? Penelope? Hello?" the phone cut off the connection. Hotch ran out the door. "Get your go bags, we're going to Vermont. Morgan and Garcia are in trouble! Get the jet ready NOW!" Hotch went back, grabbing his cell phone, dialing furiously. "This is Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner. Get me the Burlington, Vermont field office. Now!" He ran out with the others close behind.

]

"Hotch? Hotch!" Penelope cried, tears of anger and fear running down her face.

"Shh….shh…baby girl, it's ok. We'll figure this out. It will be okay." Morgan tried to calm her.

"No, it's not, Derek. We're being shot at, and we can't call the police and you don't have your gun, and I know you're hurt and you're not telling me!"

"Sweetheart, I'm okay. I'm a little banged up, but I'm okay. Hotch got your message. He'll get someone here, you'll see. The team is our family, they'll get us help."

"But what if he didn't hear me?"

"He did. I heard his voice. He knows and he will get help. You have to believe that Penelope. Don't give up on me."

"I won't."

"Good. Now, whoever's shooting at us obviously isn't a very good shot, or they'd have already hit us." "How do you know there's only one?"

"Singular shots coming from about 45 feet away."

"So what do we do now?"

"We just need to hang out here, and wait for him to come to us. Once he does, I swear to you, Penelope, I will take him out."

"No! Derek, you're hurt. You can't fight him. He has a gun."

"Hotch once said that 21 feet is the magic number. Inside that, I have the upper hand. I just have to wait until he gets within that radius."

"I'm scared Derek."

"I know, but I'm right here. You don't need to be afraid. I promise, he'll have to go through me to get to you."

"Yeah… that doesn't help so much. I don't want you to put yourself between me and danger. I want you to stay out of danger completely."

"Baby, I'm a Supervisory Special Agent with the BAU. I can't not ever be in danger. But I won't take unnecessary risks."

Penelope snorted even through her fear. "You mean like driving an ambulance with a massive bomb into a park, or chasing after a lunatic with a gun? Oh yeah… you never take risks."

"Penelope, is this REALLY the time that you want to discuss this?" Derek said incredulously staring at her.

"No, but…is that a siren? Derek, is that a siren?"

"Yeah, baby. I told you Hotch would come through." He hugged her tightly to his side, then swore.

"What? What's wrong?"

"He's running. I have to go, Pen."

"What? Derek, no!" Penelope tried to grab his arm as he took off after the shooter.

**A/N: Sorry this one is short, but at I hope you'll forgive me since it's two updates in one night.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: So I know it has been a year and a half, but I promised I wouldn't give up on this one! FINALLY, here is another chapter!**

"Stop!" Derek yelled at the shooter as he ran. "FBI."

The UNSUB looked behind him, and promptly tripped over a tree root. Derek leapt on top of him, punching him in the face. "You son of a bitch! Why were you shooting at us?"

The UNSUB stared at him, unspeaking. Derek shook him "Answer me!"

"FREEZE! Police! Put your hands in the air!"

Derek swore. "I'm FBI Special Agent Derek Morgan. This man was shooting at my fiancé and me. I chased him down. I have my badge in my pocket, I'm going to reach in and grab it."

"Move slowly." The nearest police officer demanded, as Derek reached into his pocket and withdrew his badge, handing it to the police officer. "Sorry, Agent Morgan. We couldn't be too sure." The officer handed back the badge and motioned to Derek to get up, as they cuffed the UNSUB.

"Penelope… I have to go find my fiancé." Derek suddenly remembered.

"Sir, you are bleeding. You need to sit down." An officer tried to stop him.

"No, my fiancé is alone and scared. I need to go back to her." Derek began walking haltingly, as he began feeling the pain in his side get worse.

"Garcia? Hey, Baby Girl, it's Derek, where are you? Baby? Garcia? PENELOPE!" Derek began turning in a circle, as he reached the path where he had left Garcia. "PENELOPE!"

Several officers followed with flashlights. "Can we help you, Sir?"

"My fiancé, she was right here. I don't know where she is. She was RIGHT HERE." Derek began to pace, feeling the blood drip down his side.

"Sir! Agent Morgan!" The officers shouted as Derek suddenly slumped to the ground.

{}

"Derek, can you hear me? Derek…"

Derek slowly came out of a fog to hear Hotch's voice calling to him. "H…Hotch? Wha…What happened?"

"Derek, you were shot in the side. It nicked your liver, but the surgeons got the bleeding stopped. You're going to be okay."

"UNSUB… did he tell you why?"

"No, he hasn't spoken a word since we took him into custody." Hotch paused. "Derek, do you know where Penelope is?"

Derek's eyes went wide. "She wasn't where I left her! I… I got to find her, Hotch. Do you understand? Can't let her be hurt again." He began to struggle to pull his IV out.

"NO! Derek, listen to me. I will find her for you. You have to rest."

"Can't leave her out there alone. She's scared of the dark, Hotch. Can't leave her in the dark…"

"I will find her. I promise you. The team is here. We will get Penelope back. She's family. We take care of our family."

"Hotch… have Prentiss talk to UNSUB. Tell her… use whatever means necessary. Find Penelope. All that matters."

"Derek, I will do everything I can. You have to sleep now, you have to rest so you can help us."

Derek felt tears slip down his cheeks. "Find her… Find her Hotch. Can't lose her."

"None of us can, Derek."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful reviews I have gotten on this story. It means a lot that you have stuck with me this long!**

Onward with the story….

"Let me go, you freak!" Penelope screamed in fury at the shadowy figure standing in front of her.

A computerized voice greeted her. "Penelope, welcome. Make yourself comfortable. You will be here for a very long time." The figure stepped out of the shadows into the light.

Penelope felt a hysterical giggle bubble in her throat. "You're kidding me right? The ghost face mask… digital voice changer. This isn't Scream… we're not in a movie! Let me go. When Derek finds you, you will so regret this."

"Derek? DEREK! Derek Morgan is not fit to shine my shoes! I will regret NOTHING! And you should consider yourself lucky. Don't all of your profiler friends always say that if someone takes the time to conceal themselves that the victim has a better chance of survival?" The man in the Scream mask took a step forward. "As I said before, get comfortable, you will be here for a very long time. Long enough to make Derek Morgan forget you ever were alive in the first place."

Penelope watched as he walked away, tugging uselessly at the handcuffs securing her to the bed. All she could think of were the crime scene photos. How many women had she cringed as she had seen this same position, and wondered what they had been thinking? Now she knew… they were terrified, and feeling more alone than ever before. She curled her thumb up to touch her engagement ring. "Derek…" she whispered, as she closed her eyes against the terror.

{}

Two days later…

"Morgan! Sit back down. You're going to tear all your stitches." JJ pleaded with Derek as he began to get up and look for his pants.

"JJ, you have been looking for her for two days. TWO DAYS! She's been with some asshole. That's it, I'm looking for her now myself. I don't care about my stitches or anything else. Penelope is all that matters. I'm done… I'm not sitting in this hospital bed any longer." Derek's voice was cool, his body tense and stressed.

"Morgan, we will find her." Prentiss insisted. "You just have to give us some time."

"It's been TWO DAYS, Emily! Two days when I was lying here, nearly unconscious because of all the crap they kept pumping into me, when Penelope is out there, scared and alone." Derek purposely didn't allow any other options. In his mind, he knew, Penelope was alive! She was not dead, even though he knew that time was not on her side.

JJ and Prentiss shared a look behind his back. "Morgan…we haven't received any word. There has ben no attempt to contact anyone for a ransom drop. We even called her brothers to make sure. No one has been contacted. Hotch has checked his voicemail even. There is nothing. Crime scene only shows two sets of footprints leading to where she was hiding. But there's no match, nothing to connect anyone."

Derek sighed heavily. "We need Penelope to crack this. How do we do it without her?" Then more quietly, "How to I do this without her?"

JJ bit her lip, wanting to cry at the emotion in Morgan's voice, but knew he wouldn't appreciate it at the moment. "We all need her, Morgan. And if it's the last thing we ever do, we WILL get her back. She is ours, just as much as she is yours. We're a family, and we will get her back."

Prentiss stepped up and touched Morgan's arm gently. "Morgan, you made it possible to bring me back from the dead. You did it because we were family. We won't rest until our family is together again. I promise."

Morgan nodded. "I won't stay here. I'm helping you guys find her. I have to."

Prentiss and JJ again shared a look. "I'll go get a nurse" JJ replied. "Let's get you out of here then."

{}

Reid stood as Morgan walked stiltedly into the police station. "Morgan! Why are you out of the hospital! You just had major surgery. The bullet nicked your liver... you shouldn't be walking around yet."

"I'll rest when Penelope is found, kid. I couldn't stay there anymore. Fill me in. What do we know?"

Hotch nodded to Morgan. "We don't have much. There were four total sets of foorprints at the scene. We've matched one set to you, another to Garcia. The other two are generic shoe prints. One a size 10 mens boot, made by LL Bean. The other is a size 12 sneaker tread, made by Nike. Neither one stands out."

"We did find some blood at the scene. Good news is, it is NOT Penelope's. After Battle, she added her own information into the system, and one of the things she input was her blood type. She is O positive. The blood we found at the scene is AB negative."

"Well, it wasn't my blood then. I'm O Negative. So Baby Girl must've gotten a few hits in, got one of them bleeding. Any spatter pattern?"

"No, just a small puddle. Actually, it's kind of a miracle that CSI techs found it at all. It was lying next to her purse, which was shoved inside a tree trunk a few feet away."

"They hid her purse? Why? They had to have known that I was out there. What did the shooter say?"

Rossi growled. "He hasn't said anything. He refuses to speak. Actually the only time he did speak was to demand a lawyer. We can't get anything out of him."

"I want to talk to him." Derek demanded.

"Morgan, that's not a good idea." Hotch immediately refused.

"He shot me, Hotch! Then he helped two other assholes take my Baby Girl! What would you do Hotch? Hell, what DID you do?" Morgan's body radiated fury, at the thought of not being able to vent his rage on the shooter.

"Morgan, its not the same situation. Foyet played a game with me. This UNSUB is trying to torture you. He wants to get you riled so that you attack him. Then he can get the charges thrown out. Police brutality would do that. Then your career is over."

"You think I give a damn about my career, Hotch? I care about Penelope. Period. My career be damned. There other jobs… there is only one Miss Penelope Garcia. And I won't stop until I find the sons a bitches to dared to take her away from me. You don't like it, fine. Just step aside. You don't have to watch, you don't have to help. You just have to get out of my way." Morgan missed Rossi's nod to Hotch, as well as the resignation in Hotch's eyes.

"You will take Rossi with you. He won't interfere unless he feels that you cross a line, Morgan. Do I make myself clear?" Hotch deliberately stated as he stood directly in front of Morgan.

Morgan nodded shortly. Rossi walked up beside him. "C'mon. He's in interrogation room 3."

{}

"Tell me what you know."

"I know nothing."

"Bullshit! You shot at my fiancé and I. I want to know why."

"Why. That's such an interesting question. Why? Why does the sun shine? Why do birds chirp instead of meow? Why does an ele…"

"Quit with the cryptic shit! Give me the answers I want!" Morgan cut off the shooters' ramble mid sentence, as he slammed up out of the chair, slapping the table in front of him with both hands.

"Two roads diverged in a yellow woods and I took the one less traveled by. It has made all the difference"

"What does that mean? Are you working on an insanity plea? Is that your game?"

"Games…ah, yes. Games, I remember many chess games with my cousin in my grandfather's cabin in the woods."

"What is your name, you son of a bitch?" Derek demanded, determined to get at least some answers.

"My name is Nemesis."

Derek growled. "My name is Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan. Remember it, because I will be back. And when I do, you'd better have a better answer for me than Nemesis."

He walked out of the interrogation room, slamming the door behind him. He instantly dropped into a crouch. "Penelope… just hold on. I promise, I'm coming. Just hold on." He whispered desperately.

**A/N: Good? Bad? Let me know!**


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: You guys are the best! Thanks for all the positive reviews!

As always, I own nothing. If I did, Shemar Moore would be seen shirtless a LOT more!

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"When are you coming, Derek?" Penelope whispered quietly. She lay on a twin bed, the blankets underneath her worn and yellowed. She kept touching her ring, calming herself by imagining Derek as he asked her to marry him.

"I told you before. Derek Morgan will never find you." The mechanical voice sneered.

"And I told you, Derek won't leave me here. I know him. He'll find me. It might take forever, but he will find me!"

"He has already moved on. He went out with a woman last night. Tamara, I believe her name was."

Penelope stared for a moment, then snorted. "He wouldn't be with Tamara again. Above all else, Derek is honest. He'd never ask one woman to marry him only to go to another days later."

"He might if he thought you were dead."

"Wh..Why would he think that? He knew where I was."

"Well, it might have something to do with the make up job I gave you while you were…sleeping."

"You drugged me! I didn't sleep. What do you mean, make up job?" Penelope's mind was whirling as she fought against the cuffs holding her securely to the bed frame.

"See for yourself. I send it to him myself." The man cackled and showed her an 8x10 photo of herself. She had a red circular mark in the middle of her forehead, looking incredibly similar to gunshot wounds she had seen in the past, complete with a small trickle of blood. Her clothes were askew as if they had been torn away, and dark purple and blue splotches showed on her thighs and stomach. If she hadn't known better, she would have sworn she was looking at a crime scene photo of a woman who had been raped and murdered.

"He won't believe it." She said defiantly, although doubt was beginning to creep in.

"Oh, but he will. I am a very good artist, Penelope. Very good indeed. You see, all of the men in my family have a particular talent. Mine is makeup and photography. My brother is the jock of the family, went into the Army and became a Ranger. Toughest guy I've ever known, and brilliant with a weapon. My cousin is a computer expert, the best there is. My father was an expert in turning men into men. It was a harsh school, but we all learned well."

"Please, just let me go. What do you want from me?"

"Me? Nothing at all. You are simply safe here from detection. However, you are a gift. Be proud, for you are the greatest gift that this particular recipient will ever receive."

"What recipient? What are you talking about?"

"In time, sweet Penelope… in time."

{}

"Derek, you need to get some rest. You're not doing anyone any good here." Hotch insisted, watching his agent closely.

"I need to be here, Hotch. I can't sleep until I have her back. I just…every time I close my eyes I see her. I LEFT her Hotch! I left her to go play cowboy and to get the UNSUB. She had just asked me to be more careful. I should have listened. I never should have left her."

"You had no way of knowing that it was a group. You only knew of the one shooter, you had no way of knowing he had a partner, much less two of them."

"I just should have stayed with her. She was already scared, Hotch. Why did I leave her? Why would I make that worse?" Derek scrubbed his head with this hands hard in frustration. "They've had her for five days, Hotch. We both know the odds. If I ever get her back, what's the likelihood of her being the same?"

"She won't be the same, Derek. None of us are after witnessing horror. But Penelope is much stronger than you give her credit for. She will find a way to stay herself. She hasn't lost herself to this job, and she won't lose it to evil either. Have faith in her Derek, just like I know she is having faith in this team to find her."

"I have a delivery for SSA Derek Morgan." A tall, slim man in a UPS uniform stood in the room with a cardboard letter mailer.

"I'm Derek Morgan." Derek stood, and signed for the package.

"Have a nice day, Sir."

"You too," Derek said dismissingly as he ripped open the cardboard strip.

"NO! Oh, God no. Please!" Derek yelled as he pulled out a photo, and dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face as he stared at the picture in front of him.

Penelope lay handcuffed to a bed, face and body bruised, clothes torn and worst of all, a bullet wound in her forehead.

"Derek! DEREK!" Hotch yelled, trying to get his attention, but the force of his grief was too high, and he didn't hear him.

"Oh, Baby Girl. Please, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Baby Girl. Please…Forgive me, oh God, please forgive me!"

The team gathered around him as Hotch ordered everyone not in the BAU out of the conference room. Varying stages of grief and pity were obvious. JJ and Reid both cried freely, JJ hugging Morgan's back as she cried. Prentiss turned away, not wanting anyone to see her obvious distress, while trying to stay strong. Rossi bowed his head, silently saying a prayer he had learned in his childhood. Hotch stood ramrod straight, grief lined in every pore, yet not allowing himself the chance to let go of it.

Outside the conference room, the outer office was quiet, as the officers and detectives watched the team fold in on itself, offering support to each other.

{}

Derek Morgan sat in his hotel room, a glass of whiskey in his hand. He wasn't normally a drinker, but tonight, he would make an exception. His solace was gone. He had no buffer left between him and the cold, harsh reality of life. He swallowed hard. His Baby Girl wouldn't smile again, or laugh at old movies. He'd never hold her after she screamed in fright from a horror movie, or kiss her quiet when she was chattering nervously.

The phone rang but Derek didn't answer it. He didn't want to talk, didn't want to debrief. He knew it was someone from the team, but didn't care enough to answer. The only person on his team he wanted to hear from, he had killed. He sighed heavily. There was only on way to fix this. Only one way to take the blame away. He put the glass down as he picked up his service weapon and held it to his head. The pain ended now.

**A/N: Don't hate me! I couldn't resist the cliffie!**


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Sorry to make you all wait for this next chapter. Plot bunny hopped away from me for a few days. He's back now, though...so here's the next chapter!

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"Morgan, NO!" Reid clumsily knocked the gun out of Morgan's grip. "Garcia wouldn't want this, Morgan. Think about Garcia!"

"I AM thinking about her, kid! You think I can think of anything else? You and I both know that after 5 days, the only way I'm getting her back is in a body bag. You saw that picture! She's gone, Reid. She's..." his voice cut off on a sob.

"Listen to me, Morgan. We are going over the photo in detail. Why would the UNSUBs taunt you like this, only to kill her? It doesn't make sense. I...I think she's alive, Morgan."

Morgan picked up his head, tears running unabashedly down his cheeks. "Reid, don't play me, man. The odds are not in her favor...or mine. That picture...it's just the proof that she...she suffered."

"Morgan, you have to promise me...until we find a body don't give up hope."

Morgan gave a short humorless laugh. "Funny, that word...hope. It goes right along with solace, kindness, peace, beauty...those are all missing without her here, Reid. I want her back. I...I need her back."

"I know, Morgan. I need her too. We all do. We're going to find her." Reid awkwardly hugged Morgan.

Morgan latched on tightly, holding onto his unlikely savior. "I just... If there's any goodness, or right in this world... we're going to find her alive." He looked up at Reid. "I can't live without her, Reid. I won't. She's the only thing that keeps the demons away."

"I know, Morgan. She does it for all of us. I heard you call her your 'God Given Solace' before. What you don't know is that she's the solace for all of us on this team. She's the bright light waiting at home for us to get warm after dealing with the cold. I can't think of her gone. We'll prove she's still waiting for us to bring her home."

Morgan nodded. "Okay. Okay, Kid. Let's go look at that picture again. Let's figure out what's not right."

{}

"How you doing, Morgan?" Emily asked as he and Reid walked into the conference room.

"Not good, Emily. I need to find her. Dead or alive, I need to bring her home."

"Did Reid tell you? We think the picture is a fake. There's a weird coloring to her skin tone. It's not normal, it may be make up."

"So how do we find out for sure?"

"We put it through a computer recognition software."

Morgan snorted softly. "So in other words, we need Garcia to find out if she's alive or not. Wonderful."

"The FBI does have other analysts, Morgan." Rossi commented dryly.

"None that are as good as she is. Even Kevin... Wait, Kevin Lynch could do it. Penelope insisted he was second best."

"I don't think that's the best idea." Rossi murmured. "We don't know who did this. I don't want to use anyone connected to either you or Penelope until we know for sure who did this."

"Actually, I don't think we need to use computer software anyway. There is a photographer in the area who specializes in determining fake or real photography. She might be able to help us. Her name is Jessie Grange." JJ input as she looked up from the computer screen she was looking at.

"Let's do that first. We want to keep this as close to the vest as possible." Hotch stated calmly.

"I've just gotten off the phone with her. She's willing to see us immediately."

"Good. JJ, you and Rossi go to the photographer. Emily, you will try to speak to the shooter again. Morgan, you, Reid and I are going to work on victimology. Why Garcia? Why you?" Hotch rattled off instructions as they broke into their separate assignments.

"Me? Wait, why are you profiling me?"

"Whoever did this, is trying to hurt you, Morgan, by taking Penelope. You may be the target. Perhaps someone doesn't like your relationship?"

"Everyone loves Penelope. You know that! She's kind and loving. The only one who ever got angry about us being together was Kevin. But you know, he always was jealous of us. After the Alaska case, we just got closer, and he couldn't handle it. I can't see him doing this though, Hotch. He was hurt...angry a little, but not psychotic. And Penelope would be able to beat him. She's physically stronger than him, too."

"We found two sets of prints other than yours at the scene. That means there was a trio. Our shooter, and two people to take Penelope. If one of them was Kevin, she may not have thought to yell as much. And the other one could help subdue her physically."

"Did you check on Buford, Hotch? I mean, he IS still in prison, right?" Morgan worried aloud.

"I checked, Morgan. He's not only in prison, but currently under solitary confinement for having a weapon in his cell. It's not him. He hasn't even had internet or phone privileges for the past 3 months." Reid quickly answered.

"Was there ever any racially motivated slurs against your relationship? Anyone who didn't like Penelope dating a black man?" Hotch gently steered the questions back to Penelope.

Morgan sighed and ran a hand over his head. "Her brothers didn't like it. Said she should marry a nice, Catholic boy and make beautiful Anglo babies." Morgan laughed. "She told him that she'd rather have a man who didn't follow a religion like a sheep and caramel colored babies so they wouldn't have to worry about having fair skin to sunburn like she does."

"So we can't officially rule them out."

"That shooter isn't her brother, Hotch. I've met them. And honestly, we got along pretty well after that first really tense meeting. I got the feeling that they ended up okay with us as a couple. I was even invited to their family reunion next month." He paused. "Has anyone called them about her disappearance?"

"No. We wanted to keep it as quiet as possible until we were able to find out something more concrete."

"Concrete like that picture?" Morgan closed his eyes, battling back the demons inside.

"No, Morgan. Concrete like a body or a ransom note." Hotch paused. "You have to fight the despair, Morgan. I know it's not easy. When Haley...When Haley died, I thought I would die with her. But I had Jack, not to mention all of you to help me survive. We will help you through this, no matter what happens." Hotch paused again, silence settling between them. "Morgan...Reid told me about earlier. Should I be asking for your gun?"

Morgan hung his head between his arms, as he crouched down. Finally he picked up his head. "No. Not yet anyway. Not as long as there is a chance she's alive. If we get confirmation that she...that sh..." He stopped to take a deep breath. "If we find out conclusively that she is dead, then...yeah. Yeah, take my gun."

{}

She was scared, terrified of what was to come, but the hiding and waiting was killing her inside. She just knew if she could get free of the cuffs that she would have a shot at getting away. Derek had taught her to play along until she had an opportunity. He had also gone through a lot of trouble after Battle's attack to show her how to fight, street style. Dirty and to use whatever means necessary to survive. It was time to stop waiting. She knew the team was looking. It was her turn to do something to help them.

"Could you uncuff me? Please, my arms are really starting to hurt."

"No. Your present wants you just as you are."

"But, does he want me damaged? The cuffs...they are too tight. They're rubbing and feel really raw."

The UNSUB sighed heavily before walking over with a key in his hand. "I just checked them while you were asleep. They were f...OW!"

Penelope sat forward as quickly as she could, ramming her head into his jaw, seconds after the cuffs opened. She quickly swung her bound legs around, hitting him again in the face, using all the force she could get. She hopped as quickly as possible off the bed, trying to reach the knife on the table next to her. She grabbed it, as he got to his feet once again.

As he neared her, she curled her body into a tight fetal position, waiting for him to get closer, then as he stood over her, uncoiled quickly, slamming the balls of her feet into his testicles. As he fell to his knees, she quickly sawed away at the rope, feeling it give as she scrambled to he feet, gripping the knife.

"GET BACK HERE, YOU FUCKING BITCH!" He roared as he gained his feet as well, rushing at her.

"NO!" She screamed and thrust with the knife, dodging with her body.

{} 

"The picture is a fake. Ms. Grange just verified that while it is a very good fake picture, the head wound is clearly make-up. She couldn't conclusively answer regarding the bruising or clothing, but the gun shot is stage make-up. She said that the coloring is similar to that of a brand of stage grease make-up used by a local theater company." JJ confirmed happily.

"We need to check with this company. I want to find her. NOW!" Morgan roared.

"It's a group called B-Town Players. It's headed by a man named Jason Flue."

"Get me an address for Jason Flue!" Hotch barked at the computer tech working at the police department.

{}

Penelope gasped as warm, sticky blood ran over her hands. "Oh...Oh,my..." She gasped, then ran as quickly as she could. She grabbed the door handle and pulled it open, running into the dark.

A/N: So, is everyone happier with me after this chapter? :)


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! As everyone knows, there was no way I could kill off Morgan! He's my favorite. Please note that in this chapter there is a flashback scene. Even though it is labeled, I thought it would be easier to identify if it were written in italics.

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Penelope ran into the darkness, wincing at the feel of the cold snow beneath her bare feet. She had to get away. She knew Derek and the team was looking for her, just as she realized that without her there to look up information for them, it would be more difficult than normal. She had to reach somewhere with a phone. Or a car. Or a carrier pigeon. Anything that would tell her team she was alive and to come and get her.

She ignored the tingling pain in her toes, as well as the sting of tree branches hitting her in the face as she ran blindly through the woods. Faintly, she could see the light of a house up ahead. She prayed silently that the people inside were not associated with her kidnappers. She prayed they would take her to Derek.

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"Mr. Flue, your company uses stage make up, is that correct?" Rossi questioned the slim young man.

"Yes, sir. We have a production currently in the running of Cyrano de Bergerac. It is rather difficult to have someone play Cyrano without makeup." He smiled, then immediately looked scared at he glanced at Morgan's stony face.

Rossi glanced at Morgan before continuing. "Has any of your make up gone missing recently?"

"Yes..well, no." He sighed. "We had some stolen by a member of our company. We kicked him out for it, but it's not missing, I mean, I know who has it."

"Sir, we are going to need that name."

"Why? What's going on? What does missing make up have to do with the FBI?"

"We are investigating a kidnapping."

"Kidnapping? You think Brian has something to do with a kidnapping? No, he wouldn't do that. And if he did, it was his brother and cousin that talked him into it. He'd never do it on his own."

"You sound very sure." Morgan stated flatly. "Why?"

"Brian and I…well, we were lovers for 3 years. It went downhill when his cousin came into town for a visit. Dude was a real homophobe. It made Brian not even want to be a part of a relationship with me. And he loved me."

"Sir, we need to speak to Brian. Could you give us his last name?" Rossi carefully asked.

"Flynn. Brian Flynn."

"Mr. Flue, we need an address. Where can we find Mr. Flynn?" Morgan queried coldly. The first lead into finding Penelope was here and he could feel the adrenaline racing through him.

"I… It's 1449 Yardley Place in Waterbury. It's about 15 minutes from here."

"Thank you, Mr. Flue. We'll be in touch." Rossi stated as he watched Morgan leave the room, cell phone in hand.

{}

Penelope gasped in pain, slowly moving despite the freezing temperatures and incredibly painful feet. She grabbed a nearby tree branch, looking at the house in front of her, as she watched carefully just as Derek had told her to.

{}

3 years earlier

"_Penelope, listen. I know what you went through with Battle. I should have been there to protect you."_

"_Aw, Morgan, that's not your job."_

"_It IS my job, Penelope. One that I have taken seriously for a lot of years. But I wasn't there to save you when you needed it. That eats me up inside, knowing that you were alone, scared and helpless."_

"_Morgan…"_

"_Let me finish. I want to teach you some things. Show you how to take care of yourself if something ever happens again when I am away from you."_

"_I don't believe in violence, Derek."_

"_It's real, Penelope. Sometimes you have no other choice but to fight. If it is fight or die, do you really want to die, Penelope?"_

"_Well, no, of course not. But talking works, it works sometimes, doesn't it. I've seen the team settle an UNSUB with words."_

"_And some of them we have to settle with a bullet. I just want you to let me show you some basic self defense moves and some crisis management techniques. Please, Baby Girl, I don't ever want to lose you. And I don't ever want to look at you in a hospital bed again."_

"_Okay. So tell the crisis management stuff first. I'm not quite ready for the self defense lessons yet." Garcia glanced down at her stitches. _

"_First off, be aware of your surroundings. If something doesn't feel right, get out of there. Use your instincts, they won't steer you wrong. If you are being followed, try to head for a group of people. There is safety in numbers. The more people you can lose yourself in, the better." Penelope nodded. So far, this was common sense, she could totally handle this._

"_Second, no matter what happens, do not EVER give up. I promise you, Penelope, if something happens to you, I will move heaven and earth to find you. Hold on, no matter what happens, and I will come to you."_

"_And finally, Penelope. And this is the most important. Do whatever you have to but stay alive. If you have to, play into their fantasy. Do anything you can so that they don't hurt you or incapacitate you. And then when they least expect it, because they think that you are complacent, you can make your move and attack. When you do, you use anything you can to even your odds. Use weapons, dirt, logs from the fire, smash their head into the floor…whatever you can to stop them long enough for you to run away. Don't stop. Ignore that you are tired, that you hurt. Concentrate on one thing. Freedom. Because once you have your freedom, there's nothing, no force on this earth that will stop me from finding you."_

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Penelope gasped as se reached the front porch of the house she had seen in the distance. She half crawled up the stairs, and rang the doorbell, waiting for someone to come.

An older man answered the door. "You foolish woman! What're ya doin' dressed like that in this weather. Yu'll catch yur death!"

"H…Hel…Help m..mmeeee."

The man immediately ushered her inside the warm cabin. "Come're darlin. Ole' Jake'll fix ya up. Where's yur man? You gotta ring."

"D….Derek. C…call Derek."

"Derek, is that yur man's name?"

"N.. him."

"Let's get you warm. Then we'll call yur man. What's yur name, blondie?" Jake asked as he bundled her close to the roaring fire and covering her with a thick blanket.

"P…Penelope."

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"Why are all of these roads so narrow? And has any of the planning people here heard of a street sign?" Derek grumbled as Rossi drove through the Vermont countryside.

"If you don't stop, I'm going to turn this car around." Rossi huffed in frustration.

"Rossi, seriously…you have to be…" Morgan was cut off by his cell phone ring.

"Wow, you actually have service. Did you know that only 47% of the state of Vermont has reliable cell phone service?" Reid queried.

"STOP the car!"Morgan screamed, tears streaming down his face. "Where are you? I'm coming to get her. Don't let her leave, please!"

Rossi pulled the car to a stop, watching Morgan carefully. Reid grinned suddenly at Morgan's words.

"She's alive? Penelope's alive?" Rossi asked, interrupting Morgan's conversation. Morgan didn't stop speaking, just turned his head and nodded vehemently.

"Please, put her on the phone. I need to talk to her." Morgan requested quietly.

Jake agreed and suddenly Morgan heard the most beautiful sound ever- a sleepy, pained voice cracking over one word…."D…erek?"

Morgan's voice suddenly choked up. "Hey, Baby Girl. I'm on my way, sweetheart. You did it, you held on for me. You hear me? I'm coming for you."

"Knew you would. Hurry, k?"

Okay, Baby Girl. Okay. We'll be there soon, I promise!" Morgan hung up the phone. "Rossi, turn around and head to 67 Stowe Mountain Road. We've got a baby girl to retrieve!"

Rossi grinned and turned the SUV around, speeding as quickly as he dared towards Penelope, as Reid quickly dialed Hotch to share the good news.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: So glad everyone likes the story so much! Your support makes me want to find the time to write even though I'm crazy busy. So here we go!

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Derek jumped out of the SUV before it had fully come to a stop. "PENELOPE!" He was yelling as he got to the porch, slipping as his boots slid on a patch of slush.

"Shh! Quit yer yellin' boy! Yur girls asleep. Been through Hell that one has. You better treat her good." Jake leaned heavily on his cane, as he opened the door.

"Thank you. Thank you for finding her."

"Didn't find her. She found me. Saved herself. Tole me that Derek tole her what ta do."

Derek glanced down as he felt his eyes begin to water. "I…Still, Thank you for calling me. I…I've been lost without her." He paused and raised his head. "My name is Derek Morgan. I work for the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI. If there is ever anything I can do for you, please let me know." He motioned to Rossi and Reid. "These are Special Agents David Rossi and Dr. Spencer Reid. We are all incredibly fond of that lady you have inside."

Jake stepped aside, allowing Derek inside, with Rossi and Reid following. "Yur the one that gave her the ring?"

"Yes. I asked her to marry me a week ago. She was taken from me two days later."

"Treasure it. My Julia passed on four months ago. Still feels like yesterday. We had a good life. Raised two good boys and a daughter who has had me wrapped around her finger since day one. All the problems…they're worth it."

"I will. I'll spend every second of the rest of my life making up for leaving her alone, and for making her save herself."

Derek impatiently looked around him. "Where is she? I need to see her, please."

Jake nodded. "Put 'er in my room. Closest to the fire. Warmest place in the house. Door right off the living room."

Derek took off in the direction Jake pointed, determined to find his Baby Girl.

{}

"Emily, I want you to go talk to the shooter again. This time use the name Brian Flynn as leverage. See what you come up with." Hotch ordered after hanging up with Reid. "They've found Penelope. Derek, Rossi and Reid are on their way to get her now. We need to close this one."

Emily wiped the tears of happiness away with the back of her hand. "Should I push?"

"Take your cues from his body language. JJ and I will be behind the mirror, I will call you if we see things you miss. Make sure your phone is on."

"Sounds good. Let's do this."

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"Baby Girl. Oh, God. Look at you." Derek fell to his knees beside the bed where Penelope lay curled up. Tears streamed down his face as he took in the bruises around her wrists, arms and face. "Baby Girl… wake up. Penelope, It's Morgan, baby. C'mon, wake up and let me see those gorgeous eyes of yours, Mama."

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Penelope relaxed as her mind drifted in safety for the first time in almost a week. Distantly through the haze she could hear Morgan's voice. Her savior, her knight in dusty, sweat cloaked armor had ridden up on his black steed to save her from the demons in the night. She slowly opened her eyes, afraid it was a dream.

"Hey, Baby Girl. That's it. Oh, sweetheart, look at you. God, I've never seen anything so beautiful in my entire life." Morgan gently brushed her hair out of her face as he stared into his most beloved sight.

"Morgan? Derek, is you? I'm not dreaming?"

"No. You did it Baby Girl. You saved yourself and found a way back to me. I missed you so much!" Derek kissed her forehead, wanting desperately to hug her, but afraid of hurting her.

Penelope launched herself at Derek, hugging and kissing every patch of bare skin she could find.

"Wait! Baby Girl, I don't want to hurt you."

"The only way you're going to hurt me is if you stop holding me."

"Never again, Baby Girl. Never, ever again."

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"So far you have been remarkably uncooperative. We found your partner. Does the name Brian Flynn ring a bell to you?"

The shooter's eyes darted to the left quickly, then covered it, by nodding. "He's a local actor."

"He's a bit more than that."

"No. He's only an actor. Not a particularly good one at that."

Emily's phone rang. Hotch's voice rumbled low in her ears. "Keep pushing. He knows. We're going to find you everything we can on Brian Flynn."

Hotch looked quickly at JJ. "Go and talk to Mr. Flue again. See what you can find out about Brian Flynn…and his family."

{}

"I want to leave, Morgan. Take me back to our family, okay? I need to see my girls, and Boss man, and my genius and my Godfather. Please, Derek?"

Derek laughed quietly. "You know Rossi isn't gonna be happy if he ever hears you call him your Godfather, right?"

"He's Italian, and he used to have ties to the 'familia'. Too bad for him if he doesn't like it."

"What you want me to make you an offer you can't refuse, kid?" Rossi joked from the doorway.

"Oh, you're here! Is the rest of the team here too?" She looked at Derek quizzically.

"Just me, Garcia." Reid awkwardly stood behind Rossi.

"Oh…Reid. Come here!" She motioned him over, not letting go of Morgan's neck.

"Are you…okay?" He asked as he walked forward, taking in her bruises and scrapes that were visible.

"I am now. Seeing you… my family. I knew you'd find me."

"We'd never stop looking for you, kid. Never." Rossi intoned solemnly from the doorway.

Penelope smiled, sighed, and with one arm wrapped around Derek's neck and the other holding Reid's hand, she fell fast asleep again.

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"Baby Girl, you need to wake up, Sweet thing." Penelope woke slowly to the feel of Derek rubbing her back, murmuring in her ear. "We're at the hospital."

"Wait, hospital? Why? Derek, I want to see JJ and Emily and Hotch. I need to!"

"I know, Baby Girl, and you will, just as soon as a doctor checks you out. I don't like those bruises and cuts on your wrists. A doctor needs to check it out, as well as any other…injuries." He paused. "I'll be with you the whole time. Unless, well, unless you don't want me there."

"Derek, I'm okay. I have some bruises and scrapes and scratches. Almost all of them are from running away. They didn't hurt me. They didn't rape me. The guy holding me just kept telling me that I was a gift for someone. That he just had to keep me away from you guys long enough that his cousin could come and get me. I was a gift for him."

Derek hugged her tightly again. "Okay. But you still need to get checked out. I'm not taking no for an answer here Baby Girl, so leave it alone. I'll bring you to Hotch and JJ and Emily just as soon as the doctor finishes."

"Fine. But you owe me ice cream for this. Good stuff too… I want Ben and Jerry's." Penelope grumbled, hearing the resolution in his voice.

"I'll buy the whole factory for you, Baby Girl."

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"Mr. Flue, I have a few more questions for you about Brian Flynn."

"What do you need to know?" He asked tiredly.

"Tell me more about his family."

"He grew up a few miles from here, up in the woods. He lived off this split dirt road. Almost uninhabitable. It's thick forest up there, and the road looks more like an overgrown trail. They were poor. His mom died when he was just a couple of years old. His dad was..tough. Hard on him and Dylan."

"Dylan?"

"His younger brother. His dad definitely applied to the school of hard knocks. He believed in sparing the rod was spoiling the child. Beat them senseless for every infraction of the rules." He sighed. "Brian said his dad was old school, but that he taught them good lessons. I don't think Brian ever realized that his dad was abusive."

"What else can you tell me about Dylan?"

"Dylan? Phew… Dylan is a hard ass. Not cruel like his dad, but tough as nails. Had to be I guess, between growing up the way he did and going into the army. He was Special Forces- an Army Ranger. They said he was the team sniper, could hit the wings off a fly 100 yards away."

"What about extended family? Was there anyone who ever tried to help Brian and Dylan?"

"Brian's aunt came to live with them when he was 6. His mom's sister. She had a boy too, about the same age as Brian, I think he was 7. Brian said his Aunt Rachel was a blessing and a curse. Apparently, Rachel had an eye for men. It caused a lot of friction in the house. Brian's dad would fly into a rage over it. But when things were good, they were very good. Family vacations, outings, etc. But the problem was there was never any way of telling if it would be a good day or a bad day."

"What is his cousin's name?"

"Kevin."


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Story is winding down. Thanks to all my readers & reviewers.

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"Penelope, you know we need to talk about what happened." Morgan quietly said as Rossi piloted the SUV out of the hospital parking lot.

"But I don't know anything! He hit me from behind. The next thing I know, I wake up and I'm tied to a bed, and being told that I won't be harmed. That I'm a present for someone. I never saw his face or even heard his voice. He always wore one of those Scream masks and used a voice changer."

"Did he ever say anything, make any conversation?"

"no, well yeah, I guess so. He talked about growing up with his brother and cousin. Said his brother was a military genius…a sniper, maybe? And his cousin is an expert on the computer." Penelope sniffed a bit at the thought of someone else being better than her on the computer.

Derek grinned. "I'm sure his cousin is chum compared to the future Mrs. Morgan."

She sighed, rolled her rung on her finger and cuddled closer. "The ring kept me closer to you. It made me remember what I had waiting for me."

Derek cuddled her even closer, pulling her onto his lap. "I'm so sorry I couldn't find you. That I left you when you'd asked me to be careful. It will never, ever happen again. I wanted to die when I saw that picture." He swallowed hard. "I almost did, except Reid stopped me." He paused to kiss her forehead again. "Baby Girl, I…I am so proud of you. You did so good. I love you, Penelope Garcia."

Penelope openly cried, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, Derek…I love you too. The thought of you kept me sane. I knew you'd find me eventually. I just got impatient."

Derek laughed. "Well thank God for that at least. You got impatient, and I got my Baby Girl back quicker."

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Emily walked back into the interrogation room. "Dylan Flynn."

The shooter looked up with a look of interest in his eyes.

"That is your name. You see, we've found your brother. And we also have found Ms. Garcia. She's on her way here now. This is your last chance to tell us what we want to know."

"Brothers….Aristotle once said 'Cruel is the strife of brothers.' We are all brothers. Brothers in war, brothers in arms. It is the thing that holds men together; a brotherhood."

"I'm not talking about your brothers in arms. I know you have a brother, Mr. Flynn. We have found Brian. We know he took Ms. Garcia. What we don't know is why. Tell us why Mr. Flynn, and maybe the courts will go easy on you. If not, you are going to be charged with two counts of attempted murder of a federal agent. That's dual lifetime sentences."

The shooter stared long and hard at Emily. "I would like to see my lawyer now."

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"He lawyered up? Now? After 7 days he lawyers up? What the Hell?" Derek growled at Hotch.

"Derek, we have to do this by the book. We have him. We just need more info from him." Hotch looked down at the again sleeping Penelope, cradled in Derek's arms. "Is she okay?"

"Scrapes, bumps, bruises, not to mention some emotional stuff I know she's trying to hide. But she was lucky. No sexual trauma" His voice broke as he cleared his throat. "No sexual trauma, no permanent scarring. Most of her injuries she got during her escape. She'd started to get a slight case of frostbite in her little toes, so they want me to watch it, and she's extremely tired, but other than that, she's fine."

"You should take her to the hotel."

Rossi laughed aloud. "Have you ever tried to make Garcia go somewhere she didn't want to go? She needed to see her team. We gave in."

Hotch smiled. "I wouldn't want to make her wait any longer then. I'll go get Emily and JJ."

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"Garcie!" JJ rushed over to Morgan and Garcia, hugging her tightly.

"Oh, Jayje! Oh, it's so good to see you!" Penelope leapt out of Morgan's lap, fiercely returning JJ's hug.

Emily stood a few feet away, tears of happiness in her eyes. Reid looked up at her. "You okay, Emily?"

She nodded, wiping the tears away. "I just realized how all of you felt when I came back after everything with Doyle. You thought you'd lost me forever, and when I came back, you were relieved and happy and sad and stunned all at the same time. I've never had that rush of emotions before. It's unnerving."

Reid nodded. "We missed you, Emily. We… I had prayed so many times for it to be a dream, that you weren't really dead. Then you walked into the BAU room and it was like all my prayers had been answered. I knew miracles existed. Science couldn't prove it, only people. I know I was angry after, but for a few moments, all I could feel was relief and this…exultant thankfulness."

"Reid, I'm sor…"

"Don't apologize anymore, Emily. It's okay. We are okay now." He nodded towards JJ and Garcia. "They need you right now. Don't worry about me."

Emily hugged Reid quickly, then walked over to JJ and Garcia. "Room for another person in his hug?" She asked quickly.

"For you? Always!" Garcia opened their circle to expand one person bigger.

Penelope looked around the room, watching her team carefully. Rossi stood to one side, hand resting comfortably on his hip holster, as he watched the girls hug, almost fatherly. Hotch was to her right, guarding the trio from the curious gazes outside the conference room window. Reid was standing awkwardly beside Morgan, head down to protect his emotions from view. JJ and Emily were clutching her tightly, not letting go of their friend now that they had her back. And then there was Derek. Derek stood just a foot away, body tense with the need to protect, eyes steadily on her and her alone, watching her reconnect with her sisters. Suddenly Penelope realized that she may not be in her cozy apartment, or in Derek's warm home with Clooney's wet nose snuggled into her, but she was home. As long as she had her team, she was home.


	14. Chapter 14

Penelope pulled herself away from the group hug and adjusted her glasses. "Okay, so what can I do?"

"Penelope. You need to go the motel and get some rest." Hotch stated calmly.

"No way, Boss man. I'm gonna nail this son of a bitch. Tell me what you need."

"We need you safe" he insisted.

"And I need to know that I did everything I could to ensure that nothing like this happens because of these assholes ever again. I'll rest when I'm done, Hotch. I have to do this."

Hotch's eyes softened. "You will have a guard at all times. Morgan, that's you. Don't let her out of your sight until we've caught them all."

Penelope grinned and grabbed Derek's hand. "No problem at all, Hotch. He's the only shadow I want anyway."

Hotch nodded. "See what you can come up with on the histories of Brian and Dylan Flynn. They have both mentioned a cousin. He could be our third UNSUB."

"I just need my laptop, Sir."

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"Oh, boy. Dylan and Brian Flynn were both raised by their father. To say he was an off the grid man would be an understatement. He was a conspiracy theorist- believed the government was watching and recording his every movement. As a result, he refused to embrace any technology. They grew up without electricity, no internet, cable, satellite. In fact, he even refused to have indoor plumbing."

"Baby Girl, you said that he kept talking about his cousin. Is there anything on him?"

"I'm looking, Hot Stuff. Their lives are actually hard to find anything about because of the way they lived. There are a lot of Child Services reports, but nothing that ever warranted removal from the home. Apparently, several teachers from the local school had serious concerns about the children's well-being. The children would never corroborate that any abuse had taken place, and always seemed to have a good story as to why they had bruises."

"Garcia, both of them said their cousin lived with them. Can you find out anything on the father's family? Did he have a brother or sister?"

"Negative, boss man. He was an only child." Garcia continued to type furiously. "Wait! Wait, I see here that it was never an official relationship however, Jeff Flynn, the boys father, lived with his father and his father's girlfriend, Shelly Mackres. They were never married, but lived together for several years before she left and moved away. However, she had a daughter, Alisa. It looks as though about 35 years ago, Alisa moved back to Vermont with her son, James. She stayed with Jeff Flynn and his boys until she died in a hunting accident."

"What happened to her son, Garcia?" Emily asked urgently.

"James Mackres was raised with Jeff Flynn and his boys from the when Alisa died when he was 4 until Jeff Flynn's death in 1995 when the boys James was 17. He apparently fought the courts for guardianship of his cousins, Dylan and Brian Flynn."

"Where is James Mackres now, Penelope?"

"Rossi…he just disappeared! He was awarded custody and lived in Vermont until both Dylan and Brian were 18. Then he just…vanished. Like "Genie in a bottle type" poof!"

"Check Dylan and Brian. They must have had contact with him at some point."

"The only contact I can find is a deposit put into their accounts each month from a bank in Alexandria Virginia."

"Alexandria? Garcia, that's only a few miles from Quantico. He's the mastermind. We've got to find James Mackres."

"I…I can't, Morgan. He is crazy good. Nothing is in his name. He's got dummy corporations and proxy servers setting off relays across the world. He's scary good."

"You are better, Baby Girl. I guarantee it. Just think, baby. How did the FBI get you? Use those skills to get him."

Penelope smiled adoringly up at Derek. "You are of course, right. The hacker handle. I just have to find it, and then I'll be able to track him."

Penelope typed furiously, her computer bleeping and beeping randomly. She suddenly sat back and stared at the computer screen.

"Keep trying, Garcia. You'll find him." JJ encouraged, hugging her shoulders lightly.

"I…I just did, Jayje. I know who the cousin is."

The team waited for her brilliance. The silence stretched out as she didn't say any more.

"Penelope?" Derek knelt down in front of her, seeing her eyes filled with tears. "Baby Girl, what's wrong?"

"The…the hacker handle. It's Nemesis1475."

"Okay, so how does that get us to the third UNSUB?"

"I… I was working with K…Kevin a few months before we broke up. We were just playing around on the net, keeping our skills sharp. He got up to go to the bathroom and didn't log off his computer. It beeped, so I looked over to see what had popped up."

When she didn't continue Morgan rubbed her arms, warming the goosebumps he found. "What was there? Had he found Nemesis?"

She looked into his brown eyes and cupped his face gently. "N…no. Morgan, his hacker handle is Nemesis1475. K…Kevin is the third UNSUB."


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Last chapter! I have finally finished my first Criminal Minds story! Thank for everyone who stuck with me on this one! Please read and review just one last time!

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"This is Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. I need a team dispatched immediately to detain and arrest FBI technical analyst Kevin Lynch. He works on the third floor." He paused. "Why? He is under arrest for the planning and kidnapping of BAU Technical Analyst Penelope Garcia. Also for criminally negligent detainment and conspiracy to commit attempted murder of a federal agent, as well as anything else I can think of once I have more facts. He and his two cousins kidnapped, shot at, and tortured my agent. Pick him up! NOW!" Hotch's strong voice echoed in the room as he slammed his phone shut.

"Emily! Go and talk to Dylan. Use Kevin's name. Get something out of him. Rossi, you go with her." Hotch turned to Morgan. "Can you question Brian without getting yourself brought up on charges?"

Morgan stared down into Garcia's face, wet with tears. "Better him than Kevin."

Hotch nodded. "JJ, you're with Morgan. Try to find out why."

"I already know why, Hotch." Garcia whispered roughly.

"What?" Morgan exclaimed heading right back to her side.

"He told me once that I was his girl, and that once he had something, he would never give it up. He said that no 'muscle bound asshole' could ever change that…not again."

"Why didn't you ever say anything to me?"

"Because! I just thought he was trying to be a tough guy. I didn't want to make him more ashamed when we started to date. I liked him, Morgan, I just didn't love him."

"Penelope…"

"No, Derek, listen to me. He wasn't a horrible boyfriend. A little odd, and granted, he wasn't you, but he tried to take care of me. He did do sweet things. He's not an evil person." Garcia paused then sat back down and began typing more.

"Garcia, what are you looking for?" JJ asked gently.

"A picture of his uncle."

JJ nodded in understanding. Morgan glanced at Hotch who seemed as confused as he was. "What does a picture have to do with anything?"

"Kevin told her that a 'muscle bound asshole' couldn't change it ever again. I'm willing to bet his uncle was one of those 'muscle bound assholes'. Maybe having you start to date Garcia is what flipped his trigger."

"Got it! Oh my God!" Penelope exclaimed as she turned the computer screen to face them.

"Holy…" JJ breathed as she stared a picture of a man, who while he was much paler hued in skin, looked remarkably like Derek Morgan.

"Son of a…I was the trigger? She was kidnapped because of me?" Morgan sat down running his hand over his head.

"No! Morgan, she was kidnapped because Kevin, Dylan and Brian suffered years of systematic abuse at the hands of a man who looked like you. You had nothing to do with it. You treat Penelope like gold…everyone who is sane can see it." JJ patted his shoulder soothingly.

Before he could respond Hotch's phone beeped. "Hotchner. Yes. Yes, good. You need to coordinate with the Vermont State Police. They have the other two suspects in custody. Kevin Lynch will need to be extradited here to be held and charged in federal court. Thank you."

Hotch hung up. "We've got him. Let's go home." He said simply.

"Hotch, Dylan is in the middle of writing out a full confession. Emily broke him using his dad. She told him about Kevin, and he gave it up then. He's already written down how they planned it. Kevin has spyware attached to the security footage camera in both the BAU bullpen and Garcia's office. He also has a worm on Morgan's hard drive. Apparently, he tried to put one on Garcia's as well, but her protection firewalls wouldn't let it through. He knew everything about their trip… even about the engagement ring Morgan bought. He hacked their credit cards." Rossi grinned. "Actually, you two can be expecting some rather large shipments of sex products and toys apparently. He didn't just steal them, he charged tons of stuff and had it delivered to you."

Penelope blushed. "Wonderful." She looked up at Derek. "Can we go home now? I'm really tired of vacation."

Derek smiled. "We sure can, Pen. The workers should be done installation of my hot tub anyway. What do you say we just vacation at my house for the next few days?"

Penelope smiled brightly. "That sounds like heaven, my chocolate God."


End file.
